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Saturday - October 03, 2009
From: Gloucester, VA
Region: Mid-Atlantic
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Are leatherleaf viburnum or Carolina Sapphire toxic to horses?
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Are Leather-leaf Viburnum or Carolina Saphire toxic to equine? I would like to plant them near the fence line.ANSWER:
Mr. Smarty Plants found neither Cupressus arizonica var. glabra (Carolina Sapphire), a cultivar of Cupressus arizonica (Arizona cypress) that was developed at Clemson University, nor Viburnum rhytidophyllum (leatherleaf viburnum), a native of China, listed in any of the toxic plant databases listed below:Poisonous Plants of North Carolina
Cornell University Plants Poisonous to Livestock
University of Pennsylvania Poisonous Plants
Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System
Toxic Plants: Horses from the ASPCA
This doesn't guarantee that the plants are not toxic to horses, but it is a pretty good indication that they are safe.
As an alternative for the non-native leatherleaf viburnum from China, Mr. Smarty Plants would like to suggest several species of viburnum that are native to Virginia. Here are several recommendations:
Viburnum acerifolium (mapleleaf viburnum)
Viburnum dentatum (southern arrowwood)
Viburnum prunifolium (blackhaw)
Viburnum rufidulum (rusty blackhaw)
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